Monday, June 2, 2014

Foods Rich in Magnesium to Boost Energy

Many geologists who specialize in minerals agree that magnesium is the seventh most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Even though the Earth’s crust has a good amount of magnesium in it, many conventional foods lack this essential mineral due to bad agricultural practices.

Magnesium is very important for energy due to the fact that it is responsible for over 300 enzymatic and metabolic reactions in the human body. Its vital role for energy may be why this essential mineral is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Besides its energy benefits, this essential mineral has been shown to be beneficial for the heart, brain and immune system. Furthermore, many nutritionists recommend it for depression, diabetes, anxiety, muscle cramps and high blood pressure.

Why most conventional foods lack magnesium

The main reason why most conventional foods lack magnesium is due to destructive agricultural practices, causing the soil of farmland to be depleted of this essential mineral. This is one of the main reasons why magnesium deficiency is on the rise. Unhealthy diet is another reason why many people are suffering from magnesium deficiency. If you suffer from a lot of muscle cramps, irregular heart beats or twitchy eyelids, you may have signs of magnesium deficiency.Foods rich in magnesium

To prevent magnesium deficiency, you need to consume foods rich in magnesium. In general, organic food often contains more of this essential mineral than conventional food. Organic food is usually grown with strict standards. Farmers who grow organic food often rotate their crops and they take good care of their soil, so that it doesn’t get depleted of nutrients. As result, their organic produce is often more rich in nutrients.

Here is a list of some foods rich in magnesium. For best results, consume the organic ones.

Pumpkin seeds

Spinach

Swiss chard

Soybeans

Lentils

Brown rice

Sesame seeds

Black beans

Quinoa

Cashews

Sunflower seeds

Wild blue-green algae

Magnesium blood test

If you aren’t sure if your body lacks magnesium, the most accurate way to find out is to do a blood test. Below is a list of 4 effective magnesium blood tests.

EXATest: This test is similar to the blood cell magnesium test except that it tests magnesium levels in the cells of the mouth. People who choose this test will need to make an appointment with a doctor, so that the doctor can scrape cell samples from their mouth and send them to a lab for testing. This test may be the most convenient test for magnesium deficiency, because it is reliable and cost effective.

Ionic magnesium test: This is one of the most accurate magnesium tests available to the public. The ionic magnesium test uses sensitive digital imaging microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy and the magnesium fluorescent probe to measure magnesium levels in various tissues throughout the body. Unlike most magnesium blood test, this test measures both active and non-active magnesium in the whole blood, plasma and serum.

Blood cell magnesium test: This magnesium blood test is more accurate than the serum magnesium test, because it measures magnesium levels in red and white blood cells. Scientific studies have shown that blood cells can contain up to 40 percent of the body’s total magnesium level.

Serum magnesium test: This test is designed to measure magnesium levels in the blood. Serum magnesium test is the most popular for hospitals and laboratories. However, it is one of the least accurate ways of measuring magnesium levels due to the fact that nearly 1 percent of the body’s total magnesium is in the blood.

Magnesium deficiency is becoming a big problem, but if you choose to eat foods rich in magnesium, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. Furthermore, you will have more energy and experience less health problems related to irregular heart beats, muscle cramps and anxiety. Another way to increase your magnesium intake is by combining natural magnesium supplements with organic food.